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Zoomers
Zoomers are vehicles in the ''Jak and Daxter'' series. They often serve as the primary mode of transportation throughout the games, and differ in design and purpose. They are personal vehicles that fly at a constant altitude above the ground and used for transportation in the same way a normal vehicle is employed. The first zoomer invented was the A-Grav Zoomer, designed by Keira shortly before and during The Precursor Legacy. Zoomers are often equipped with headlights, steering assists, fins, and acceleration methods including propellers, jets, and anti-gravity engines. Some zoomers, which have more advanced engines, use designated flight altitudes known as hover zones, although some zoomers are only elevated a few inches off the ground by air cushions and achieve greater height by means of ramps or gaining air. The less advanced hover engines are often referred to as "A-Grav engines" with air cushion assist (see A-Grav Zoomer). History ''The Precursor Legacy'' The precursor to the modern-day zoomer is the comparatively primitive A-Grav Zoomer, built by Keira in The Precursor Legacy. It is unknown if there were any other zoomers during this era, though given the A-Grav Zoomer's status as a "prototype", coupled with the fact that the Metal Head Wars ensued not long after it was built, makes this possibility unlikely. The A-Grav Zoomer used a basic engine with propellers and power cells to hover and accelerate respectively, and had a starting altitude of only, at most, a meter off the ground (albeit could temporarily gain considerable air after driving off ramps or hills, especially when assisted with blue eco). The A-Grav Zoomer was made primarily of a low-grade metal, and could overheat and explode if traveling above volcanic terrain, unless equipped with a heat shield. ''Daxter'', Jak II, Jak 3 Used by Haven citizens were the city zoomers, which took after the precursor A-Grav zoomers, but had better controlled speed, designated flight zones, and brakes/reverse, all due to their more advanced engines. However, there still existed an A-Grav zoomer that served as a crop duster named Betsy during Daxter, which was the only one of its kind during this era. City zoomers came in three basic forms: the one-seated zoomer, essentially a "hoverbike"; the two-seated zoomer, which was more of a "hovercar"; and the three-seated zoomer, which was slightly smaller than the two-seated zoomer, but came with a main seat and two smaller seats on either side, possibly meant to tote small children. The single-seated zoomers prevailed in speed but lacked in durability, and could wreck and even explode fairly easily, while the two-seated zoomers and the three-seated zoomers contrastingly prevailed in durability, but lacked in speed. Other variations of the zoomer include the scooter, crop duster and ranger zoomer. There were also specialized Krimzon Guard HellCat vehicles used to patrol the airways of Haven City, HellCat cruisers and KG patrol bikes being the most popular. The cruiser was a large, delta-shaped hovercraft with mounted turrets and two seats. The patrol bike was a hoverbike, similar to the single-seated city zoomers, but touted with Krimzon Guard paint and logos, with a turret at the bottom as well, and had a slightly larger composure with harder control. The cruiser was also used by the Freedom League in Jak 3 as a special-ops vehicle only. .]]Additionally, air racers were used in the popular sport, NYFE racing. They consisted of elongated lightweight framework, with a "kife" structure towards the end, and a powerful, high-speed engine. It could only hover slightly above the ground, though in combination with its light weight and high speed, the racer could move deftly along the racetrack's smooth surfaces and differing obstacles. Characteristics Zoomers vary greatly in design and purpose throughout the series. A-Grav zoomers were often made of a heavier-weight metal than modern zoomers, and were elevated by means of air cushioning through large propellers. They were not particularly designed to be aerodynamic (although they had necessary flight components) but were sturdy vehicles. There are two propellers on an A-Grav zoomer, one beneath the belly of the vehicle to produce high amounts of air pressure which serves to elevate the vehicle, and one at the front or back of the vehicle which serves to move it forward at high speeds. Modern zoomers use jets in combination with more advanced engines to maintain speed, altitude, and control. The engine jets are placed in the front of the zoomer located inside a compact engine, with its propulsion jets in the back emitting a small or large flame depending on speed. For one-seated zoomers, the engine is a cylindrical single-cell motor, with its other mechanical parts along the belly and towards the end of the vehicle. The placement and usage of engines in two-seated and three-seated zoomers remains uncertain, however they also emit a flame towards the back end as well, suggesting it has the same propulsion jet as a single-seated zoomer. Modern zoomers use frontal and rear steering assists, and can alternate between positions to change the speed and direction. They can brake by releasing a yielding flap at the back of the vehicle, or, for two-seated and three-seated zoomers, inverting their steering assists. Types References Category:Zoomers